2 Corinthians 8:1-7 – “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. 6 So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. 7 But as you abound in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us — see that you abound in this grace also.”  NKJV

Charity, generosity, and giving are an integral part of the biblical message and mandate.  I would suggest that it is impossible to study the Bible without being confronted with the subject of giving.  In considering the historical setting for this passage we realize that one of the major ministries or efforts of Paul’s third missionary journey was gathering special relief offerings for the poor Christians in Judea.  He had done this before as we see in Acts 11 and now, he feels directed by the Spirit of God to do it again.  It is interesting to note that Paul cited a forgotten beatitude in Acts 20:35, “…It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  I would suggest there was more than just gathering relief funds in Paul’s efforts and can see at least three additional desires in his heart. 

• He wanted this offering to Strengthen the Unity of the Church as the Gentile congregations shared with the Jewish congregations across the sea.
• He wanted this Evidence for the Jewish churches to prove that neither he nor the Gentile congregations were enemies.
• He Hoped that the Generosity of the Gentiles would silence the apparent jealousy of the Jewish Christians.

The problem surfaced that the church at Corinth was not doing its part.  They had made promises but failed to keep them.  An entire year had been wasted (v.10).  What caused the delay?  It was the spiritual condition of the church at Corinth.  Their spiritual temperature was incredibly low.  A rule of thumb, I have found, is when a church is not spiritual, they are not generous.  Likewise, when a person’s spiritual temperature is low their generosity also wanes. 

Another cause was the invasion of the Judaizers, who frequently siphoned off as much money as they could.  Paul saw a problem.  He addressed it using nine (9) different words to refer to this offering, but the one used most was GRACE.  He informed them that “giving” was truly a ministry of Grace and Fellowship.  In verse 4 we find that the ministry of helping others is vital, but its motivation must be from the Grace of God.  I have witnessed and participated in Grace Giving and there is nothing that provides more joy and strength to the life and church than this. 

Let me pose a question for your consideration:  “How Can We Know We Are Practicing Grace Giving?”  I did not ask how we can know we are giving but our giving is Grace Giving.  Paul uses several pieces of evidence which are evidenced when our giving is motivated by Grace! 

Although I hesitate, I will pause here and consider this evidence in our next devotional.  Until then, may the LORD give you an overflow of His grace, peace, provision, and power!  Blessings abundantly!

2 Kings 3:16-19 – “And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ 17 For thus says the LORD: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ 18 And this is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.”  NKJV

Everyone who recalls this account in the biblical record knows that the result was more than just providing water for Israel and Judah but when they prepared as directed by the prophet God worked an amazing miracle.  Not only did water flow into the ditches but when the Moabites looked at the ditches filled with a liquid substance, they saw it as blood.  They thought the nations of Israel, Judah, and Edom had turned on each other and the slaughter immense and rushed in to claim the spoils of victory.  That was their tragic mistake and were soundly defeated just as the prophet declared but, had they not done the preparation there would have been no blessing of victory.

 There are other accounts in the Bible that clearly illustrate the need or requirement to make preparation to receive the blessings of the Lord.  The idea is rooted in the principle of “sowing and reaping”, the “law of harvest” and “giving and receiving”.   Remember in 2 Kings the widow who cried out in her dire circumstance to Elisha, he asked what she had in the house and her reply was a jar of oil.  He instructed her to gather all the vessels she could find in the house and from neighbors and as she complied the oil flowed until the vessels were filled.  She could have limited the blessing by limiting her obedience.

How about Naaman the Syrian when the prophet instructed him to dip seven times in the Jordan?  He resisted, at first, but then complied and when he did his healing became a reality.  Had he allowed his prejudice, pride, and expectation to prevent him from following the instructions and preparing for the blessing he would have died a leper in Syria! 

Isaiah informed us that there had to be one who would Prepare the way of the LORD and in Matthew we read that John the Baptist was that voice and John said, “I am not the Christ, but I am sent before Him… He must increase but I must decrease.”  John’s obedience and preparation paved the way for Messiah to be received and recognized.

There is no reconciliation without repentance, no healing for the blind man instructed to wash in the pool of Siloam and there is no blessing for you and me Unless we Prepare a container in which to receive that blessing.  The Blessing is from the LORD, but obedience is our part of the equation. 

The Law of Sowing and Reaping comes into play in all aspects and dimensions of life.  I heard something in my spirit about 2016 and beyond that, I will share.  I know some do not believe anyone can hear from God and I do not declare this was an audible voice, but it was real in my heart and mind, so I proceed.

Years ago, I was facing an imposing financial need of $500.00 to pay an obligation that was due and promised.  I realize that amount in today’s society might be considered a pittance, but I had $55.00 to my name.  The Holy Spirit witnessed to my heart to “tithe on my need”.  That would mean placing $50.00 in the offering and retaining $5.00 to feed my family and care for our needs for the week.  I wanted to obey but my reason prevented me from doing so on Sunday morning and I kept the $50.00 in my pocket.  That night in the service I was so overwhelmed with the urgency and desire to obey that I literally threw the money in the offering.  I was elated and troubled at the same time. 

The next day I ran an errand downtown and a person walked up to me, reached out to shake my hand, and said, “Thank you for your faithfulness.”  They placed a piece of paper in my hands, and I waited until I was alone to look at it and realized it was a check.  The amount was $550.00.  I cannot describe the emotion and awe I sensed in my heart.  God had done exactly what He said and had I not made the preparation through obedience I would not have received the blessing.

I sense in my spirit and believe that the Holy Spirit has spoken to my heart that the first 100 days of 2016 would determine and shape the next 1,000 days. That what was done in the first 100 days was preparation for the next 1,000.  It could have been glorious but failure on the part of many within the Body of Christ brought us to where we are.  Exactly what all this means to each person will be different, but I sense we are being told to Make Preparation in Obedience and then observe how He does what He does as a result.  If you made Preparation, then the Blessing will overtake you!

God bless you as you obey the Voice of the Spirit of God and prepare your hearts for his overflowing blessings and promises.   

Joshua 1:1-9

Back to our discussion of Canaan and the Here or Hereafter and walk through some issues regarding the typology used to determine what each of the factors represents in our Christian walk.  I believe we can all agree that Egypt represents Sin and Passover represents the Covering of the Blood of Jesus and Salvation. 

But what about the Wilderness, Jordan, and Canaan?  In my mind, this is where we face a problem in our standard typology.  Again, you may find this does not resonate with you but hear me out, please.  My objective is to bring us to a place of Total Victory here on this earth so that we can be even more powerful warriors for God.

What about Canaan?  Let’s compare it to Heaven.  Canaan has walled cities, giants, hostile inhabitants, and much more.  Does that sound like heaven?  If you said yes, I must ask, “Do you believe that in order for you and me to get to heaven we are going to have to dispossess the devil in that Bright City to enter in?  Are you telling me that when I die, I have to then engage in war to evict hostile squatters in heaven to occupy that eternal reward?”  Canaan, as seen in Scripture, is a Place of Warfare!  It must be possessed by dispossession and it must be occupied through warfare to keep the enemies out.  Is that a Picture of Heaven?

Let’s keep moving forward in this comparison.  Canaan is truly a land of milk and honey or provision and prosperity.  It is a Place of Victory where the Kingdom Rule of God is experienced and enjoyed but since it has ‘non-heaven elements’ it must be here, right?  I contend that it represents “The Place of the Manifest Presence and Victory of God, Here and Now!”  It is a place to be attained by the believer walking in the fullness of Christ on this earth.  It is the place of victory and authority the believer can live in as we do the works of Jesus and the greater works, He declared we would do. 

I believe that Canaan is truly “Life behind the Veil” and is attainable and to be enjoyed and experienced Before heaven.  We have enemies that we must evict but we encounter them and defeat them through the Full Armor of God, the Blood of the Lamb, and the Word of our Testimony.  We have been equipped, have the proper weapons, and have the Divine Promise of Victory! 

Thus, I believe that the picture of Israel, in the natural, is the picture of where God wants us to be spiritually.  He wants us to experience life in the ‘manifest presence’ of God.  He wants us to live out the Lord’s Prayer where He Reigns Fully, we Possess the Land, the enemies are evicted, and God is exalted.  That excites me!

But how do we get there?  We need information so that we are not ignorant of the schemes of the devil and are fully persuaded of the Promises of God.  We Faith.  We need Divine Order in our lives and local congregations where we are doing what God says when God says it and the way God says it. 

First, there is Passover where we experience the New Birth and become members of the Family of God. Then, we experience the Wilderness where we are trained and have the roots of Egypt removed from our lives.  Next, we Cross Jordan.  A side note:  Too many are worried about their gift, their call, or their ministry.  God first removes Egypt from us Then we Cross Jordan.  You don’t have to reform, just grow where you are planted in His place of planting and His timing.  If He has called us, He will provide, and, in His timing, you will reach your Jordan and enter your Canaan (Place of Promise and Victory).

Paul is known as the apostle to the Gentiles.  He was first a Jewish teacher and even after he was converted it was years before he was fully released into his full ministry.  Abraham’s impatience produced Ishmael and Moses’s impatience killed an Egyptian and cost 40 years in the desert as a fugitive. 

We are Called and I pray that God will instill in our hearts the vision of your Canaan.  I pray that it will burn hot within our hearts and that we never become religious as the Pharisees and feel we must perform.  Rather I pray that we will learn to walk in the quiet confidence that you only Do what He says Do! 

God always makes the man then the ministry.  We each have a call, a Promise, and if we will be faithful, we will Possess the Land.  There is a Place of Powerful Victory to be enjoyed and experienced in this Life and one day we will enter that Eternal Promised Land and there will be no enemies to fight, no squatters to evict, and no weapons of war needed. 

God, bless you as you move from faith to faith and victory to victory in Jesus!

Joshua 1:1-9

Back to the question of yesterday and that of my title, Can We?  Let me ask you to walk through a few pictures in Scripture as we negotiate our way through this question. I will offer a Scriptural Picture and Truth and then ask the question, “Here or Heaven?”

John 14:12 – – The Works of Jesus and Greater Works.  Here or Heaven?

Isaiah 61 – – This is an incredibly anointed minister, authority, and power.  Here or Heaven?

Mark 16 – – This is addressed to Every Believer.  Here or Heaven?

2 Corinthians 10 – – Spiritual Warfare and Weapons.  Here or Heaven?

1 John 4:17 – “As He is, so are we…”  Here or Heaven?  (The passage says, IN THIS WORLD).

1 John 4:4 – – If we are In Him and overcome the enemy.   Here or heaven?

Those are only a few of the myriad of scripture passages that identify a tremendous truth the Church needs to grasp and walk in today’s world.  Let me identify the Kingdom of God in very simplistic terms, It is the Rule of God.  Therefore, I believe that God’s Rule is present in our lives and this world and as members of His Body we can expect to enjoy Victory now not just hope for Victory someday, someway in that eternal world of Heaven.  The question is, “Are we enjoying it now?”  How much and if not why not? 

I believe there are several reasons people do not Total Victory now.  A lack of information, revelation, or knowledge will prevent the entering into that place of victory for what people do not know they can have they will not have.  Another reason is unbelief or disbelief for the Bible tells us that ‘without faith, it is impossible to please God’ and that ‘with faith, all things are possible to those who believe.’ 

Another that I won’t delve into very deeply here is we are out of Divine Order.  But, the most imposing question is, “Is this for us today?”  Can we expect the Promises of Jesus, the Covenant of Abraham, and the many Promises of the Bible to be fulfilled in us personally today?  I believe the answer is Yes, but only if grasp the possibility that Canaan is a Type of Victorious Life Here not simply a Picture of Future Heaven.

Let’s go to the source for understanding and begin in the Book of Joshua.  This Book gives a beautiful picture and understanding in this matter and makes it clear if we can receive it.  We must move beyond tradition and preconceived ideas but if we can move past that we will see a light of hope that will liberate and empower.  If we give only a casual reading of the Book of Joshua, using only the natural mind and reason we will miss the insight that can be mined from its pages. 

The Book of Joshua and this account is a story of warfare possession and occupation.  Why is that important to our discussion?  It is a Picture or a Type and Shadow pointing to a Biblical Truth.  It points to something.  Israel is in bondage in Egypt and their bondage in Egypt is a type of what?  Sin!  God, through Moses, delivers them from bondage to take them into their inheritance – Canaan, the Place of Promise. 

I believe that is where we have often veered off course, through our hymnology.  Many of our hymns identify Canaan as Heaven.  That sounds good and there is truth in it, but it is not the full picture and if we make it, we miss a powerful promise and truth.  If we follow that view it can and does place us in a place of limited victory and robs us of the fullness of God’s Promises in the Here and Now. 

Let’s consider some types and shadows to help us in this consideration:  Egyptis a type of the world and sin.  Passover is a type of Blood Sacrifice and Salvation.  So far, we are secure in our interpretation.  What about The Wilderness? Most interpret it as a type of Life on Earth after Salvation and that would make Jordan natural death and Canaan, the Promised Land must naturally be a type of Heaven.  But what if we are wrong in that interpretation? 

Please forgive me but due to space and time I am going to pause here next time we will review the typology and ask a few pertinent questions and come to the conclusion of the whole matter and you can agree, disagree, partially agree, or totally disagree.  That will be a decision you have to make in your heart.  My purpose is not controversy but victory.

God, bless you richly on this wonderful day in Jesus!

Joshua 1:1-9 – “Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3 ” Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 ” From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 ” No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 ” Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8 ” This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”   NASB

Not to belabor the topic but “Vision is Vital” in our walk, work, and warfare.  Israel had the Vision of their Promised Land deeply embedded in their hearts and minds having heard it day after day for 40 years.  Every day they were reminded of the Promise and that Vision kept them plodding along, lap after lap around that mountain.  It was Vision that kept them from totally staying off course and becoming lost in the wilderness.  Too many, get lost in the wilderness of life because of a lack of vision.

For any of us to ‘stay the course’ and fulfill the purpose(s) of God for our lives it is imperative that we have and maintain Vision.  The Bible warns that ‘without vision, we perish’ and could find ourselves reaching the end of our earthly journey without having fulfilled the vision.  We not only must have Vision, but we must also learn to Pull Down Strongholds including wrong concepts about God’s Purpose and Kingdom.  My title question should inspire curiosity and what I am going to advance may be outside the box of your thinking.  I only ask that you hear the conclusion of the whole matter before rendering a judgment.

I believe that even a cursory reading of the Gospels will make it extremely clear that Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is a present reality. The New Testament, in my view, clearly teaches that believers can expect and enjoy both Present and Eternal Victory in Christ Jesus.  Many seem to be waiting for victory in heaven and view life on earth as a drudgery to endure. 

Jesus and Paul both taught that we, believers, have authority and power in the spirit realm in our fight against the forces of darkness.  [Mark 16 and Luke 10].  In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, the apostle Paul identifies our spiritual weapons, their function, purpose, and power.  In Ephesians 6 we find the detail of our spiritual armor.  I would challenge you to consider that None of It is for heaven it is ALL for here and now.  You won’t need spiritual weapons in heaven!

The question that should be asked is, “Can we have the Promised Land or the Place of Promise here, or do we have to wait for it in heaven?”  That leads to another question, “Is Canaan a type of heaven?”  This is vitally important to what I desire to present.  Paul informs us in 1 Corinthians 10 that what happened in natural Israel was for our example and was recorded to instruct us.  1 Corinthians 15:46 teaches us that it is ‘first the natural then the spiritual.’ 

Therefore, what God did in the Old Testament in natural Israel is a picture of what He wants to do in the Last Days in His Church or His Body on Earth.  He gave us a natural picture to reveal to us a spiritual reality.  He brought them out of bondage to bring them into victory.  He gave them the Promised Land but to enjoy it they had to dispossess the occupants and then possess and occupy the Place of Promise. 

The picture of the Promised Land is exciting and encouraging when applied to Heaven in the sweet by and by but if you can somehow apply it to the here and now it becomes doubly exciting or should.   I have only laid a foundation of what I hope to challenge you with so I will pause here with a question and then address it in the next devotional.  “Can we Possess the Land of Promise and Walk Victoriously Before Heaven?” 

God, bless you richly as you enjoy the victories of this day in Him!

Numbers 13:17-20 – “When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up there into the Negev; then go up into the hill country. 18 “See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many. 19 “How is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are they like open camps or with fortifications? 20 ” How is the land, is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes.”  NASB

In Numbers 13 we find that Israel has made their exodus from Egypt and under the leadership of Moses reached the edge of the Promised Land.  This is the Place of Promise that God had led, and they were instructed that they would have to invade and fight but the victory was guaranteed.  God instructed Moses to send spies in order Plan and Intelligent Strategy for Possessing the Land so in the verses above we read of those spies being sent forth. 

If you notice you will discover that Moses Did Not instruct them to come back and advise on the feasibility of invading but to do recon on the land and report what they saw.  They were gone 40 days and returned in Vv. 21-27.  Their report was an impressive and glowing report as well as the bounty they returned with.  The Land was all God had said it was.

However, 10 of the spies reported that although the land was wonderful the inhabitants were Too Powerfulfor Israel.  They said, “We are like grasshoppers in their eyes.”  What a Wonderful Report of Faith, Right?  You must remember that was not part of their assignment.  They were not told to report back on the feasibility of invading the land.  God had already addressed the feasibility in His Promise was Victory and they went beyond their assignment. 

Sadly, their report produced fear in the hearts of the people and drove a wedge, and negativism and defeatism flooded in.  We Cannot, was their cry and that is Never God’s command.  They said, “The obstacle is greater than we are.”  OF COURSE, IT IS!  God didn’t say you were to go in your strength but His.  If God is who the Bible declares Him to be, and He is, then He Can Do All Things!

Thankfully, two of the twelve were men of faith.  They spoke up and agreed with the ten about the bounty of the land and even about the massive obstacles in their way but stepped out in faith and rehearsed the Promise of God.  “God said the land is ours Therefore we are more than capable of taking the land.”  It was a matter of What God Said Not What They Saw! 

That’s the secret, GOD SAID!  They received the visual cells of the eagle from what God said.  They saw what the ten missed because they were looking through the eyes of faith.  With Vision, there is no room for Fear.  With Vision, there is no room for Intimidation.  With Vision, there is Confidence that goes far beyond the natural ability.  Look at their story.  In Numbers 14:10 the people wanted to stone them with stones.  Fear was Rampant!

The world will always encourage you to give up or give in. The giants are too large, too many, or too powerful.  But God Promised the Land which do you believe, what you see in the natural or what God said in the spiritual.  What is your Canaan or your Place of Promise which is on the other side of a challenge?  What giants are you facing that make you feel like a grasshopper?  You must have Vision beyond the natural.  Vision is the ability to see God’s Presence.  Vision is the ability to perceive God’s Power.  Vision is the ability to focus on God’s Plan despite Obstacles.  We need to know that God is in the situation and become enthused.

The word Enthusiasm is from the Greek (Entheos) which means “God In.”  It is the ability to see God in a situation, and that makes it exciting.  God is Watching!  Something happens in our vision and we become convinced that God is involved in our activities and applauding them.  Not to be too long but I want to relate a story that illustrates this truth in a powerful manner.

There was a goof-off who played around with a football.  He was somewhere between the bench and the team.  If there was mischief, he was involved.  He was never serious, practiced but half-heartedly.  He had a uniform but never played with any enthusiasm.  He liked to hear the cheers, but not to charge the line.  He liked to wear the uniform but not practice.  He would never put himself out and invest himself with commitment.  

The players ran 50 laps, and he ran his usual 5.  The coach came to him and said, “Hey, kid, here’s a telegram for you.”  The boy said, “Coach, just read it to me.”  The coach opened the telegram and read, “Dear Son, Your father had died, come home immediately.”  The coach swallowed hard and said, “Take the rest of the week off and go home.”  The coach secretly hoped he take the year off or quit completely.

The next Friday night the boy showed up at the game. As soon as the game began, he came to the coach begging to play. This continued into the second half and the game was getting out of control as the other team was trampling on them.  The boy kept begging, “Coach please let me play.”  The coach finally looked at the scoreboard and said, in frustration, “Okay, get in there, you can’t hurt us now.” 

No sooner had the boy entered the game, the team exploded, he ran, blocked, and tackled like a star.  The electricity and enthusiasm spread through the entire team and the score became tied.  In the closing seconds of the game, he intercepted a pass and ran it back for a winning touchdown.  The stands erupted and the team was elated.

The kid was a hero.  The coach finally reached him and said, “Son, I never saw anything like that.  What happened to you?”  The young man looked at the coach and said, “Coach, you know that my dad died last week.”  The coach acknowledged that sad reality saying, “Yes, I read you the telegram.”  The boy said, “Well Coach, my dad was blind, and today was the first time he ever saw me play.” 

Today may be the first time that you realized that your Heavenly Father is watching your life.  He is watching and He cares!

God, bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law.”  NASB

I am fully persuaded that one of the most needed abilities in a Spiritual Overcomer and for defeating defeatism, rising to that place which God desires for us as individuals, local congregations, and nations is VISION!  I did not say having sight but having a Vision. 

Please know that I do not think that the Vision is the only ingredient needed but is an important and vital ingredient.  With Vision comes Determination and Faith.  It is as we have Vision, we sense the need for establishing priorities (first things first) and we accept personal responsibility.  I am fully persuaded that without an infusion of Spiritual Vision we will become nothing more than notches on the devil’s gun and live, in bondage to defeatism.

Matthew 6 gives us a sample and insight into the great difference between the way people live naturally (filled with worry and anxiety) and the way Jesus has purposed and prepared for us to live (FREE).  We do not have to live in bondage to the world’s system we can be Free.  That must become more than a cliché it must become a focal reality and pursuit in our lives. 

Let me ask you to engage in a simple activity and see if you can identify any areas that resemble your life.  Look around at the world in which you live and see if you can see any areas in which you have been stymied or trapped.  What are you willing to accept and tolerate?  What is your burning desire? 

The World in which we live is both negative and positive.  That is not a bold revelation but a simple fact.  Sadly, many tend to focus on the negative.  They look for what is wrong rather than what is right.  They look for what is missing rather than what is present. 

Those focusing on the present tend to look at what is ugly rather than what is beautiful.  They look at what is destructive rather than what is constructive.  We talk about what cannot be done rather than what is being done or can be done.  They talk about what hurts rather than what helps and what they lack rather than what they have.  You see that in the Newspapers, on television, and in conversations.  That tends to produce doubt, fear, resentment, and even bitterness and the result is defeat.

We are engulfed by the status quo and attitudes of cynicism.  Former President, Barack Obama declared there was no American Exceptionalism and largely that kind of attitude is reflected in the ‘participation trophy society’ we now live in.  There is encouragement for the masses to be average rather than exceptional. 

I am convinced that without spiritual vision to motivate us, we tend to become part of the Status Quo with nowhere to go.  Average not Exceptional.  One of the things the Bible noted about Daniel was that he had an ‘excellent spirit’.  We live in a world where Indifference is the norm not the exception and that leads to defeat.

The majority accept Indifference as the norm and choose to live in mediocrity.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been encouraged to ‘go with the flow, don’t rock the boat, and don’t make waves.’  I’ve heard more times than I find comfortable, “Who Cares?”  I don’t know about you, but that kind of living looks a lot like Bondage and incredibly Boring to me. 

I want to adopt the Army’s motto and “Be All I Can Be.”  I want to rise as High as God will take me. I want to mount up with wings like the eagle and soar to the pinnacle of the mountain.  I want to be Free and a Partaker of and Participant in God’s Abundant Life and Living.

I have read that an eagle has 8 times as many visual cells per cubic centimeter as a human being.  An eagle flying at 600 feet can spot an object the size of a dime in six inches of grass.  He can see a 3-inch fish jumping in a lake five miles away.  He sees what most miss!  For us to be all that we can be in God Vision is imperative and we must develop Determination and become totally Committed!  We can be sighted naturally and blind spiritually or we can See in both realms.  What do you desire?

I want to address this just a bit more so we will pause here and pick up next time considering the matter of Vision and Blindness! 

God, bless you richly is my desire and prayer!